Mary Jo Fairhead is a former public school teacher and principal who in 2021 founded <a href="https://onwardlearning.org" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Onward Learning</a>, an affordable, child-centered PK-8 school in rural Martin, South Dakota. As her enrollment climbs, she plans to open additional schools throughout South Dakota.  *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at <a href="http://www.fee.org/liberated" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">fee.org/liberated</a>.

Mary Jo Fairhead is a former public school teacher and principal who in 2021 founded Onward Learning, an affordable, child-centered PK-8 school in rural Martin, South Dakota. As her enrollment climbs, she plans to open additional schools throughout South Dakota. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Mary Jo Fairhead is a former public school teacher and principal who in 2021 founded <a href="https://onwardlearning.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">Onward Learning</a>, an affordable, child-centered PK-8 school in rural Martin, South Dakota. As her enrollment climbs, she plans to open additional schools throughout South Dakota.&nbsp; *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at <a href="http://www.fee.org/liberated" rel="noopener noreferrer">fee.org/liberated</a>.

How one teacher is redefining learning in rural South Dakota

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. 

This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at fee.org/liberated.

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Education for Kids

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at fee.org/liberated.

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How one teacher is redefining learning in rural South Dakota

How one teacher is redefining learning in rural South Dakota